"AKKA "IS TRADITIONALLY A FEMALE SPIRIT IN "SAM"I AND "FINNISH" MYTHOLOGY. " AKKA "MEANS "OLD WOMAN "AND IN FINLAND, IT MEANS "GREAT GRANDMOTHER" OR "ANCESTRESS. MADDER" MEANS "EARTH" OR "GROUND". "MADDERAKKA" IS THE "SAMI "GODDESS OF CHILDBIRTH. SHE IS ASSISTED BY THREE OF HER DAUGHTERS"ZARAKKA, "THE CLEAVING WOMAN; "UKSAKKA", THE DOOR WOMAN; AND "JUKSAKKA", THE BOW WOMANWHO WATCH OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD FROM CONCEPTION THROUGH EARLY CHILDHOOD.

"MADDERAKKA" AND HER MALE COMPANION "MADDERATCHA "WERE, ACCORDING TO THE LAPPS, THE DIVINE COUPLE WHO CREATED HUMANKIND. MADDER-ATCHA WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SOUL AND "MADDERAKKA" FOR THE BODY. TO FORM A CHILD THE SPIRIT WAS GIVEN TO "MADDERAKKA" WHO CREATED THE BODY FOR THE SOUL WHICH HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM RADIEN, THE WORLD RULER DEITY, AND THEN PLACED IN THE MOTHER'S WOMB. WHILE "MADDERAKKA "HAD GENERAL CONTROL OF FERTILITY, HER DAUGHTERS WERE MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH HUMAN REPRODUCTION.

"JUKSAKKA "CAN CHANGE IN THE WOMB A DAUGHTER TO A SON. ZARAKKA" WAS ALSO THOUGHT OF AS THE SEPARATING WOMAN WHO MADE CHILDBIRTH EASIER AND WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A DEITY OF WOMEN IN A MORE GENERAL SENSE, AIDING THEM IN WOMEN'S CONCERNS SUCH AS MENSTRUATION. IT WAS SAID THAT SHE SUFFERS THE PAIN OF CHILDBIRTH RIGHT ALONG WITH THE MOTHER. "USSAKKA" WAS BELIEVED TO RECEIVE THE CHILD AT BIRTH AND CARE FOR IT, PROTECTING IT FROM ACCIDENTS.

"MADDERAKKA" LIVED INSIDE THE WALLS. THE PLACE OF "ZARAKKA" IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE, BY THE HEARTH. "UKSAKKA", THE OLD DOOR WOMAN, WAS SUPPOSED TO GUARD THE ENTRANCE TO THE HUT. Thus a little milk was always thrown out of the door at mealtime in order to win the favor of the "Uks-akka. Jusakka "was probably at the back of the house.